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I N D O O R A I R A I R Q U A L I T Y F A C I L I T Y Q U A L I T Y I N D O O R S A F E T Y
Carrie/stock.adobe.com
Stormwater and Facility Safety: How to Filter Out Pollution
Before It Spreads
Runoff from industrial sites and facilities can carry contaminants that threaten both the
environment and workplace safety. Here’s how smart fi ltration strategies help control
pollution and protect your people.
BY DAN ANKNEY
stations, and public parks have very little in common, but they
It might seem like marinas, construction sites, scrapyards, gas
share one important environmental problem—stormwater
pollution. Th ere are many federal, state, and local regulations
that require individuals to protect stormwater from pollution. Th e
EPA defi nes stormwater as stormwater runoff , snow melt runoff ,
and surface runoff and drainage. Th e type of pollution exposed to
stormwater and the measures put in place to protect against pollu-
tion will look diff erent for everyone.
You may be asking yourself what stormwater pollutants are and
how you can keep them from entering your facility or jobsite. Th e
following should provide a good understanding of some common
pollutants and fi lter options.
Types of Pollution
Th e EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NP-
DES) defi nes a pollutant as:
“Pollutant means dredged soil, solid waste, incinerator residue, fi lter
backwash, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, munitions, chemical wastes,
biological materials, radioactive materials (except those regulated un-
der the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended—42 U.S.C. 20111 et
seq.), heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, sand, cellar dirt and
industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into water.”
Th e three most common and easily fi ltered pollutants are ex-
plained below.
Sediment, debris, and fl oatables: Th is is the broadest scope of
pollutants and can include things like leaves, cigarette butts, sand,
dirt, and microplastics. Th ey have the largest potential to enter ev-
ery drain, retention pond, or swale.
Oil and fuel: Oil and fuel pollution can occur from many sourc-
es like a leaking engine, blown hydraulic line on a piece of heavy
equipment, or a rust preventative coating on metal parts. Since hy-
drocarbons aren’t miscible with water, they spread easily but are
readily captured by stormwater fi lters.
Heavy metals: Dissolved heavy metals can be a more diffi cult
pollutant to capture, but there are solutions. Common metals that
can be found in stormwater include zinc, cadmium, chromium,
lead, and copper. Sources for dissolved heavy metal pollution in-
clude scrap metal, byproducts created from metal fabrication, and
runoff from metal roofs.
32 Occupational Health & Safety | APRIL/MAY 2025 www.ohsonline.com